Cupping of Shaw Engineered Hardwood Floors
M K
5 years ago
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PROOak & Broad
5 years ago
M K
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Hardwood floor vs. engineered hardwood?
Comments (27)Choosing the right flooring type isn't enough for your living condition. You will have to consider the types of cut: flat sawn, rift and quarter sawn, quarter sawn or live sawn. Quarter sawn and rift & quarter sawn will be best choices, because expansion and contraction is along the thickness of the wood. You will need climate control all year round. 70 degrees at 40 % relative humidity is where you want to be throughout the year. The use of a humidifier/dehumidifier will be needed year round. Although, engineered flooring is more stable than solid. Using the wrong wood specie in your living condition can run the risk of de-laminating with engineered wood. If, the top veneer is more or less stable than it's core and backing. You will experience de-laminating in extreme humidity swings. Take in account of what the engineered flooring is constructed of: mdf or plywood. The width of the flooring will account for how much expansion and contracting also. 2 1/4" strips are the most stable. As you go wider, expect to see more wider seasonal gaps. Proper acclimating is critical, should be performed with a moisture meter. For 2 1/4" strip flooring , sub-floor and flooring moisture should be within 4%. For all other widths 2% moisture differentiation is allowed or should not be exceeded. Don't forget proper expansion gaps, which is the thickness of your flooring, example: 3/4" thick = 3/4" gap. Sub-floor type and condition will affect the performance of wood floors. All this needs to be considered for the proper and successful performance of your wood floors....See MoreAnderson, Shaw or Regal Hardwoods engineered floors
Comments (11)@sundropsandsage I love my floors. The Sequoia Hickory is dark but has some light tones in it too. Looks great against our paint color and the white cabinets We chose the Shaw epic engineered wood which was not very expensive. We have only had it installed for short while . We have a few problems but this is due to installation. We did call Our dealer as soon as we noticed a few spots we thought were problems . We had a floor inspector out shortly after. There are a few boards that are definitely a problem with manufacturing but we had 2 boxes left over - installers could have easily installed a different board. Waiting to see what Shaw’s response is once they receive inspectors report. I don’t know how well this floor will hold up - I think maybe we should have gone with a better quality floor but hoping we don’t have any problems. Whatever you choose - I am sure you know this - but make sure you have a qualified installer....See MoreDifferences between traditional hardwood and engineered hardwood?
Comments (3)Wow...that's a huge question. I know it sounds simple, but it is quite complex. So complex there are entire books on the subject (both professional and lay-man). So....solid hardwood is just that. It is solid. It is the same wood cut from the same tree, from the same plank at the mill. Traditionally it is 3/4" thick. Widths vary but the classic is around 3" wide plank. A 3/4" solid hardwood can be refinish 3-4 times with a total lifespan of 60-100 years. These are either factory finished or site finished. The industry has realized that some people are too afraid of large purchases so the solid hardwood industry has come up with the idea to make their planks THINNER and thereby making them cheaper. I've seen 1/2" or even 3/8" solid hardwood. They can be refinished once...maybe twice and have a lifespan of 20 - 40 years. These thinner solid hardwoods are often factory finished (cheap, thin and fast). And that's the easy part. Engineered hardwood...where to start. First off the TOP layer is the ONLY LAYER that contains the pricey hardwood that you are paying for. Everything else is like "plywood". The body of the plank is made up of cross-hatched layers of wood (not always hardwood) that are glued together. The top layer will range from 2mm - 6mm. The ability to refinish will depend on the thickness of the top layer (known as the wear layer). You need 3mm of wood to complete a full sand and refinish - just once. So the 2mm wear layer is a "one and done" type of floor. It has a life span of roughly 20 years (though many people rip them out after 15 because they look beaten up). The 6mm wear layer in a 3/4" engineered plank that is site finished is the Holy Grail of the engineered hardwood world. They are the most expensive, the most beautiful and offer the longest life cycle of all engineered hardwoods. They are so expensive that they are MORE expensive than solid hardwood floors. Whew. There is so much more but that's the difference in a nutshell. Shaw has had some complaints. The biggest issues with wood will be humidity and indoor climate control. Ask your builder to check the heating/cooling system. Ask them detailed questions about the unit's capability to handle climate control that is REQUIRED for a hardwood floor - regardless of the presentation....See MoreAnyone use Shaw hardwood floors?
Comments (2)We are very pleased with the Scufresist finish on our Shaw floors. We were boxed into the brand and limited in choices because we built a tract home, but I have to say that we are as happy as we can be with a prefinished hardwood. We have a 74 pound yellow lab. We do nothing to care for his nails other than walk him twice daily, but he has not put one scratch on the floor. He is older...so not running around much....but I still think that’s impressive. The floors at our last house were covered with scratches, and we were prepared for that here. Actually, we are especially surprised because Shaw’s ENGINEERED hardwood has gotten such terrible reviews. I’ll attach photos for you even though it’s not one of your choices. It’s marketed to builders as Solid Advantage 3 1/4” in saddle color. I think it is also called Golden Opportunity. You can see from the pics that it is what I believe is called “character grade”...knots and such but not an overwhelming amount. I included those specific planks so you would know. Both pics are of the same flooring taken at the same time in different parts of the house. I could do without the bevels, but site finished was not an option for us. Also, here is a link to a thread with photos of a Shaw wire-brushed solid hardwood floor. I believe the last photo in the thread may be an engineered variety. Shaw’s Epic engineered hardwood has a reputation for splitting and chipping. The veneer is very thin. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4937448/shaw-solid-hardwood-floor ETA: I would not pick a flooring based on any online photos. Highly recommend you view samples in person....See MoreSJ McCarthy
5 years agoM K
5 years agoSJ McCarthy
5 years agoM K
5 years agoSJ McCarthy
5 years ago
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